The companies that will continue to get my $ are the ones that will continue to offer mid/high level spec on alloy. I'm married, with kids, in my 40's and there is no way I can be buying $10G bikes. Make available very competent $4G bikes and I will be a customer. I thought once everyone was doing carbon, the $ were going to drop!? Instead, bikes continue to get more spendy.
is aluminum nearly dead?
That was when it was just the extra $1000 for the carbon frame. Now we want bars, cranks and rims too.
There's nothing better than an Orangina after cheating death with Digger.
The one thing that I see with aluminum fading from popularity is that it might be tougher for a smaller brand starting out to pump out the money for carbon molds. Making up multiple aluminum frames on similar tube sets seems much more economical for a company expecting smaller sales. If they do make a cool aluminum frame though will anyone bother paying the boutique premium for a non carbon bike?
Seems like carbon might stagnate brands, not that there aren't already enough of them, but that's just what occurred to me.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/76172.html
Realistically, what are our favourite brands really doing to address CF waste? Likely nothing other than some token repurposing. It would be cool for companies to take back frames that are no longer in use. Don't expect trade in value though, as there's basically zero value in recycled fibre.
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